


Meaningful Gifts

by Rina_san28



Series: Pride Month 2018 [11]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aragorn is a really really good friend, Engagement, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Shenanigans, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Sansûkh character(s) used, pride 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 16:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14918730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_san28/pseuds/Rina_san28
Summary: Legolas knows what he wants to give Gimli. Now he just has to find it.Written for Pride Month 2018 Day 12: Shopping





	Meaningful Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Not only is this for Pride month, but it's also part of Domesticity! Surprise! If you've read the proposal fic, this is background into the actual ring purchase. Why? Because it had so much room for hilarity. I'd actually included it in full in the original story, but I axed it. Here it is now, though, so rejoice!

Legolas fidgeted in the passenger seat of Aragorn’s car as they pulled into the mall parking lot. “You know, we don’t have to do this today if you really need to be somewhere else.”

 

Aragorn rolled his eyes. “You’ve said that at least thirty times by now. You want to get him an engagement ring. Why are you so nervous?”

 

“He’s a jeweler by trade!” Legolas cried, throwing his hands up in the air. “Excuse me if I’m a little nervous about having the man I want to marry be satisfied with his engagement ring when that’s what he does for a living!”

 

“Hey, hey, calm down,” Aragorn said. “I get it. So, we’re going to…”

 

“His family’s jewelry store. He and his dad are both out of town-”

 

“I am aware, you’ve been sulking for days-”

 

“-but his mom agreed to meet me and help out,” Legolas finished, shooting his friend a glare without any real heat. “She’s great, I think you’ll like her.”

 

“I’m sure I will.” Aragorn threw the car into park and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Shall we?”

 

Legolas took a deep breath, then nodded. “It’s go time.”

 

\-----

 

“Legolas! Hello, dear, come here and give me a hug,” Mizim said, rounding the counter with a grin. Legolas did as he was told, and if he held on a little longer than normal, no one was saying anything.

 

“Hi, Mum,” Legolas greeted once they pulled away. “This is my friend, Aragorn. We met in high school. Aragorn, meet Mizim Durin.”

 

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Aragorn said, reaching out a hand to shake. Mizim scoffed and waved his hand away, pulling him in for a hug instead.

 

“None of that, now,” she said, part motherly, part bossy. “My name is fine. You were in Kíli’s wedding, weren’t you?”

 

“Yes ma- Mizim. My girlfriend as well, Arwen.”

 

“Good! Okay, Legolas,” she said, redirecting her attention to the blond. She studied him for a moment, then smiled, her face softening. “I know you’re nervous. I know you’ll pick something mighty fine. Say what you will about my husband and his family, but I have never once doubted you.”

 

Legolas relaxed infinitesimally. “Thanks so much,” he said. Mizim waved that off as well.

 

“Thank me later,” she said. “Let’s get down to business. What kind of ring are you looking for?”

 

Aragorn suppressed a groan. “Yes, Legolas,” he said, with the controlled patience of a man who had heard the answer to a question far too many times. “What are you looking for?”

 

Legolas smacked him up the back of the head bothering to look as he answered. “Since Gimli works with his hands a lot, it can’t be anything too chunky or with pieces sticking out, so I’m thinking a band. I know he does like ornamentation, though. Probably an engraved band, then? He always complains when people come through looking for plain bands.”

 

“He is very enthusiastic about details,” Mizim said, laughing.

 

“You should see Legolas’s Pinterest board,” Aragorn joked, and Legolas hit him again. “Hey! I’m your ring shopping buddy, not your personal punching bag!”

 

“It was in the fine print,” Legolas replied. “Besides, if anybody’s my ring shopping buddy today it’s Mizim.”

 

“He does have a point,” she said cheerfully. “Back to business, laddie. Now, if you’ll follow me, we have several cases of bands over here…”

 

\-----

 

They were on the third case, Mizim keeping up her usual spiel, when one ring in particular caught Legolas’s eye. “What about that one?”

 

Mizim paused, then looked at where he was pointing. Her seemingly permanent smile warmed. “Would you like to take a look?”

 

“Yes, please,” he said. He leaned over to Aragorn, who looked a bit startled at the sudden change. “Did you see it?”

 

“I was a little focused on your mother-in-law-to-be telling us about metal composition and skin coloring, so no,” Aragorn replied. Just then, Mizim placed the ring on a felt pad and slid it across the counter to Legolas.

 

It was a wide gold band, engraved with art deco-style patterns. On one side, clearly intended to be the top of the ring, were spots for gems.

 

“We have one without those spots as well, if you don’t want gems in the ring,” Mizim explained. “We can put any trio of gems in, though. All the same, all different – your choice.”

 

Legolas swallowed, his throat suddenly a little bit dry. He gently picked up the ring and turned it around, feeling the patterns with his finger. It wouldn’t fit his own hand, of course – Gimli’s hands were sturdier, with blunt fingers and thick joints, while he had what Glóin had once called “piano hands.” The gold would match well with all of Gimli’s other jewelry, and the gems would make it stick out. Mutely, he showed the ring to Aragorn, who gave it a similar inspection, before looking back to Mizim.

 

“I like this one,” he said. “I just…which gems?”

 

Mizim smiled and accepted the ring back from Aragorn. “With this one, you’d want to stay small. They’re accessories, not the main feature. I have a list with pictures, if you’d like to see it?” Legolas nodded, and she pulled out a sheet of paper. “Take your time, dear.” She gave his hand a squeeze and slipped into the back.

 

“What’re you thinking?” Aragorn asked after a moment.

 

“I researched gems at home,” Legolas said, smiling sheepishly when his friend let out a small _of course you have._ “I just want to see what looks good.”

 

“Well, what ones did you like best? Start with those,” Aragorn said.

 

“Sapphires are pretty,” Legolas said, pointing out one on the page, “blue is nice with gold, but there isn’t really any significance to _us_ in the meaning. It’s associated with wisdom and royalty.”

 

“Definitely not vibing with the wisdom part.” Aragorn ducked another smack. “Sorry, sorry, go on.”

 

“Right, so I think we can knock that one off.” Legolas pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket, scanning the list on it. “I like rubies a lot. Those represent love. It’s also Gimli’s birthstone.”

 

“Smack one of those on there, then,” Aragorn said. “What about diamonds? Those are classic.”

 

“Love, again,” Legolas said, “and clarity. Fits with the art deco theme, too, doesn’t it?”

 

“Arwen could tell you better than me,” Aragorn said. “ _You_ could tell you better than me.”

 

“It does,” Legolas decided. “Should I go for a third?”

 

“What about your birthstone?” the other man suggested. “I mean, you’re in this together.”

 

“I was born in May, so…emerald.” Legolas checked his list again. “Emeralds bring the wearer wisdom.”

 

Aragorn chuckled. “I’ll resist the joke.”

 

“By saying that, _mellon_ , you just made the stupid joke!”

 

“Would those three look good together?” Aragorn said, redirecting the blond back to the matter at hand.

 

“I think so,” Legolas said, showing Aragorn the paper. “Put the red and green on opposite sides, with the white in the middle. It works.”

 

“Trust the artist,” Aragorn said with a wide grin. “I’ll go get Mizim.”

 

“Thank you,” Legolas said, meaning more than just the action.

 

Aragorn’s face softened, and he clasped Legolas’s shoulder. “Don’t mention it.”

 

\-----

 

Legolas walked out with a smile on his face, a ring in a plastic bag, and endless anxiety about what to do next.

 

Ah well. He’d figure it out.

 

Unlike anniversaries.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I did research all of that. Yes, I hate myself, too, thanks. 
> 
> I'm rina-san28 on Tumblr! Come say hello!


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